VictorinoxSwiss Army 5.2063.20-X4 Fibrox Straight Chef's Knife Black 8 in

Can compare with higher end brands, definitely. Good quality. Still use, sharp. But you sharpen the blade of course.

I own a variety of knives including Shun classics and Wusthof Classics, but this guy definitely has a place in my kitchen:First the downside: the Forschner 8" Chef's knife cannot hold an edge like its more expensive counterparts. I don't know what the steel on the knife is, but it isn't a hardness that can take a 15degree edge, and really can't hold the 18-20degree edge that the wusthof carries. There is a difference between this $30 wonder and the $150+ competitorsTHAT SAID, this is a beautiful knife, and I recommend it more highly than the other knives in my kitchen, here's why:- It can still hold an ably sharp edge, better than any chef's knife you'll get <$100 (way better than Henckels and Wusthof low-end lines, stay away from Wusthof Gourmet). To give you a sense, the factory edge out of the box was plenty sufficient for me, and it held for FIVE MONTHS of regular use WITHOUT honing! It dulled little by little over that time of course, but it is still a great feat for a knife this soft. I generally sharpen it to 20degrees (40 included) and it takes it no problem.- There is something to be said about having a knife that is sharp enough and hardy enough to be useful, but you don't mind beating up. If you have a good 3-stage electric sharpener, you can throw a <20degree edge on it, hone it quickly after every use (takes 10 seconds), and sharpen it every few months - it will stay fiercely sharp and you won't have to feel bad about eating away at it with constant sharpening. You can also do things with it that you would (or should) NEVER do with a knife that is either more delicate (take the hard japanese knives, prone to chipping if you expose to surfaces like glass and ceramic which you should never do) or more expensive. It's a bad idea, but I've tidied the odd chicken breast in a pyrex or sausage in a pan with this guy, and I can do it knowing that I can work out and kinks, nicks, or blunting I cause later and not feel too bad about it.- It is well designed. They went for a light knife (since compressing a dense metal would have of course been a costly endeavor and not met the cost objective), and then matched that with a nice light handle that is extremely ergonomically designed. I choke down on the hilt and enjoy total control of this guy (unlike chicago cutlery, which you should almost never buy [although I have their bread knife hah). Some examples of nice touches: the back of the hilt is rounded so it doesn't hit your wrist; the hilt at the base of the blade (where the bolster would be on a forged knife) is grooved so you can fit your fingers right into it; the hilt extends down the base of the knife (where the bolster would be) so you can comfortably get your fingers out of the way, improves clearance without widening the belly of the knife.- The knife flexes nicely. This is an added benefit to what I would *guess* but don't know is probably negative qualities of the steel, but regardless of the cause that makes this a chef's knife that is counterintuitively good at work a whole chicken with or carving around bone, especially coupled with its aforementioned cost-effectiveness that gives you more freedom with it.To sum, this is a workhorse knife, if I owned a restaurant I would throw a bunch of these in the kitchen. It's not a great steel, and doesn't hold a great edge, but *relative to its cost* it is well-made, the factory edge is sharp, the steel is pretty good (not also it resists rust well, so the carbon content probably isn't high but if you don't plan on sharpening often (but sharpen it acute when you do) then you will probably find this increases its lifespan. Finally it is very ergonomically designed for a knife at *any* price.Two final notes:1) I have not performed any rigorous scientific analysis of the knife steel. My claims as to its hardness and what edge it will take are purely anecdotal, and I am not a professional sharpener. They may be using a harder steel or better annealing process than I give them credit for, in which case I deeply apologize to Victorinox, but frankly they've made a great knife at a great price anyway, so they have my full endorsement.2) If you are looking to buy your first real set of knives, and are considering Shun, Miyabi, Henckels, Wusthof, etc. DO NOT BUY THEM YET. I repeat, WAIT. Buy this guy, learn how to sharpen it well, play with the edges you can put on it, and learn what you like and don't like about it. Then get a 10" Forschnor Victorinox and play with that. These are great knives that will serve you well in the kitchen at a low price, so use them to really get your taste in knives down, I promise they will already be an improvement on any off-brand or low-end knife you might use (low-end henckels or wusthof, oxo, chicago cutlery, etc. definitely included). Give these knives some time and enjoy them, play with how you can mess with them. Then when you're comfortable in your preferences, go buy another higher end knife. That will be a major step up, and will lead you to years of buying one or two knives at a time, depending on what you prefer for different tasks. Sets are rarely a truly good deal when it comes to use.Hope this is helpful, and thank you to Victorinox for making a solid, workable knife at a low price. It's not a king of knives, but it's a good standard to set, the brand certainly now has my consideration.

My favorite knife, for years now. It holds an edge better than any of my other knives. It's comfortable and doesn't slip.

great value for the price. comfortable handling. sharp.

Captain’s log: Day 1It is a no-brainer that one must take caution when cutting with new knives. But what must be said about these knives is that you must take caution when you are ANYWHERE NEAR THEM. The first cut was quite a doozy, and it happened so fast, as I was washing the knife, that I’m still not clear on what went wrong. The second cut happened as I set the knife down, and my middle finger just barely touched the edge of the knife. So I have learned that you cannot take your eyes off the blade for even a split second. This, in fact, makes these knives SCARY. I’ve considered getting rid of them simply because they are TOO sharp, but trying to get rid of weapons like these feels rather felonious. I will continue to use them and give them the proper respect they deserve. And maybe some day, I will no longer fear them.

Very sharp knife im impressed so far, decent price

I've had this for almost 3 years and use it almost every day, and it's still sharp. Absolutely love this knife!

Update: 4/12/20I originally gave this product 4 starts, but 4 years later I’m updating this to 5 stars. I have both the Wusthof classic and the Bob Kramer chef’s knives, but time and time again I reach for this Victorinox one instead. Why? It’s simple, lightweight, and easy to use. I can throw it in the dishwasher after cutting raw meat and not worry about the knife rusting or damaging the handle material. I’m a Microbiologist by profession and I actually bought another one of these so I can use one for raw meat if needed. The Wusthof is heavier and after using it for multiple meal preps my hand would get tired. I use these 2 Victorinox knives for 99% of my everyday cooking needs. If I could do it over again, I would only buy these and save the $$$.————For starters I'm not a professional chef, but I love quality products with a great value and that is why I wanted to review this product.I bought this last August after watching America's Test Kitchen's knife set video. I bought this as a replacement primary chef's knife to replace a set of 4 stainless steel knives (Wolfgang Puck I believe and not the best knives around) that have gone dull. The knife is great and sharp right out of the box, but it does feel a bit light in comparison the the European full tang knives. It's great and agile, but at the same time it lacks a bit of weight when cutting something big like a watermelon or a butternut squash. I actually loved this knife until I bought a butternut squash to cut. It did the job but wasn't with ease. I did not end up removing my old dull set and just ended up buying a knife sharpener to see if that helps, because that European styled chef's knife had a good weight and length (9" instead of 8") to cut thing like the butternut squash or watermelon. Another downside is that this knife feels thinner than my old set. I'm assuming it's because this blade is made at a 15 degree angle and the old European chef's knife was made at a 20 degree angle. The 15 degree angle offers a sharper knife but it also makes it more prone to dents. I already see little tears along the sharp end of the blade, but I'm sure that is fixable with a good knife sharpener. I wonder if the 10" version of this knife would work better for watermelon and veggies with larger surface areas. Another thing is I was taught to fast tap chop your garlic and ginger to mince it by my Chinese mother. This knife just doesn't have the weight for that in comparison to a full tang chef's knife (I wonder if the Victorinox Santoku would be better for that purpose).I think this knife is of great value and quality and recommend it to anyone looking for a good chef's knife. I actually would recommend the set of 4 knives from Victorinox Victorinox 4-Piece Knife Set with Fibrox Handles for anyone that has a child going away to college or starting a new home. It is a good starter collection that has the essentials (at least a 10 inch bread knife, an 8 inch chef's knife, and a small pairing knife) to fulfills 99% of home cooking needs. I also read a good review on the 5" mini chef knife from Victorinox. The reviewer purchased the 10" version of this and the 7" Victorinox Santoku along with the 5" mini. That was a good review and I suggest others read that review as well to see if those 3 knives together would work better for your needs.I know a great chef who once told me that you don't need the best knife for daily cooking but you have to hold the knife in your hand to judge if it's comfortable and to know how to sharpen/maintain a knife.